


Sometimes wings are all you need

by serenityandtea



Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Ben could be considered an arse and the pairing is really minor, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-03-01
Updated: 2015-03-01
Packaged: 2018-03-15 19:47:16
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,480
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3459671
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/serenityandtea/pseuds/serenityandtea
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The one where Harry's on a rubbish date with Ben, there are too many Mozzarella Dippers and Niall might just be his saviour.</p><p>
  <i>Penny-pincher is probably a bit harsh, but Harry has no idea how else to describe a guy who takes you to T.G.I. Friday’s on a date and then orders the ten-pound unlimited appetizer deal to share. Harry loves mozzarella dippers, but they’re on their third plate now and he’s not sure his love runs that deep.</i>
</p>
            </blockquote>





	Sometimes wings are all you need

**Author's Note:**

> Based on this prompt on Tumblr: 'We’re both trying to take advantage of the unlimited appetizers deal on separate dates at TGI Fridays and I got the mozzarella sticks and I’m on my sixth plate and I want to die, can I PLEASE swap you for some of your wings?' Zee wanted some Narry and it turned out a bit different, but here you go. It's also quite short. Sorry.
> 
> Unbeta'd and all mistakes are my own. I own and/or know nobody in this story. Also, I've never set foot in a T.G.I. Friday's, so please ignore any inaccuracies and pretend this is how it works :)
> 
> [Tumblr](http://brokenpartsmightfit.tumblr.com)

It’s an absolute disaster.

Not that Harry doesn’t like Ben -on some level he does-, but this is turning out to be the worst date he’s ever been on. Including that one where he’d ended up in the A&E with a broken wrist. Harry’s pretty sure that this one is even going to be worse.

It smells rubbish, there’s a baby crying three tables over, Ben’s got his legs stretched out all the way under his chair and Harry can’t sit comfortably. The table next to him has a couple bickering over whether to get the Cheese Nachos or Chicken Fajita Nachos to share and Harry has to bite his tongue so he doesn't yell at them to get both because it can’t be worse than what he’s eating. But his mum raised him better than that and besides, they can’t help it that he’s on a date with a penny-pincher.

Penny-pincher is probably a bit harsh, but Harry has no idea how else to describe a guy who takes you to T.G.I. Friday’s on a date and then orders the ten-pound unlimited appetizer deal to share. Harry loves mozzarella dippers, but they’re on their third plate now and he’s not sure his love runs that deep.

“-then I told Janet that there was no possible way for us to buy that company as well. Harry, are you even listening to me?”

Harry looks regretfully away from the plate of chicken wings the two guys next to him are sharing. 

“I’m sorry,” he apologises as he dips the end of one of the sticks in the sauce. Ben’s been talking business deals for forty-five minutes now, which should make sense because they’re co-workers. The only problem is that he works as an intern on the PR-floor and he has no idea what Ben’s on about half of the time. He hasn’t even been able to tell Ben about the baby-shower he’s throwing for Melanie because he can’t get a word in edgeways. 

Worst date _ever_.

A new plate of Mozzarella Dippers gets served to their table, and Harry tries to keep his face from grimacing. His whole mouth tastes like rubber cheese already and the tomato sauce does absolutely nothing to mask the dry taste of the breadcrumbs. 

Ben’s phone starts ringing on the table and the man shoots him an apologetic look.

“Sorry, I have to take this. Be back in a sec.”

As soon as Ben is out of his sight, probably taking his call outside, Harry groans and drops his head on the table. If he has to eat another stick, he’s gonna be sick all over the floor.

“Mate, you alright?”

A finger pokes into his shoulder and Harry turns his head sideways, his curls almost ending up in the tomato sauce. Blue eyes are staring at him in concern from the table next to him and oh- not that bad.

“No.”

“Is he that horrible?” Another voice asks and Harry slowly lifts his head off the table. “Because he looks like a right arse.”

“He’s not that bad,” Harry murmurs and yes- he is, but he’s not moaning about his pathetic date to two complete strangers.

“Whatever you say, mate.”

A new plate of chicken wings gets served to their table and Harry stares miserably at his own plate. Stupid dippers.

“Is there anything we can do for you?” The boy with an Irish lit to his voice asks and Harry shrugs. “If yah give me your number, I could call with an emergency if you wanna get out? Or Louis here could bump into his chair and let him spill his drink? Or you could just get out now and we’ll tell him you got sick or something.”

“Yeah, no. Don’t think that will help,” Harry sighs. Ben would probably just find him tomorrow at work and be all concerned and he’d feel a billion times worse for lying.

“Well, if there’s anything I can do, just lemme know.”

Harry nods at him. “I’ll keep it in mind.”

He turns back to his own table and stares dejectedly at the napkin that he tried to fold into a swan thirty minutes ago. Ben still isn’t back and the smell of greasy cheese makes his stomach turn. Before he can think about what he’s doing, he’s turning in his chair, facing the table next to him.

“Sorry to interrupt your date, again-”

“-not a date-”

“-but do you mind swapping your wings for my mozzarella dippers? Because this is what feels like our sixth plate and I feel like I’m gonna _die_ if I have to eat another one and I know you probably ordered wings for a reason but would you _please_ swap with me? Please?”

It’s probably not possible for the ground to swallow him whole, so instead Harry slides a bit further down his seat and closes his eyes. He can’t believe he just blurted that out to complete strangers. Nice, fit strangers, but still strangers.

“Why don’t you just order something else then?”

Harry carefully peeks out of one eye and grins sheepishly at the boy -Louis, if he remembers correctly- who’s got one eyebrow raised.

“Because I’m on a date and he told me that it was his treat so I left my wallet at home?”

“Are you really that daft? What if he’s not taking a call but he’s actually left you here? How you’re gonna pay for your food?”

Rookie mistake, honestly. One that he won’t be making again anytime soon, that’s for sure. Harry’s about to open his mouth when the other boy speaks up.

“We’d love to swap. Could do with a bit of change.”

“Speak for yourself, Niall,” Louis interrupts, his eyebrows raised. “Just because you think he’s fit-”

“-you don’t have to-” Harry starts, but Niall shushes him.

“Don’t listen to him. We’d love to swap.”

Niall offers him their plate with a little swing and Louis sighs but still accepts the plate that Harry hands him. The first thing Harry notices is that the wings definitely smell better than the dippers. By the looks of it they are Jack Daniel’s wings as well. Score.

“So, you think he’s coming back?” Niall asks him, already chewing on a mozzarella dipper. Harry cringes.

“Yeah, think so. ‘S probably just work calling.”

“Don’t you think that’s a bit rude?”

Harry shrugs as he carefully disassembles a wing. It is, a bit. He knows how invested Ben is in his job and Harry doesn’t blame him as such, it’s just that he’d hoped he’d have a quiet and nice date. Maybe a cheeky snog at the end so he could call Gemma later that evening and gush a bit.

“Well, I think it is,” Niall states and Harry sees Louis nod in agreement. “If I were on a date with you I wouldn’t leave you alone. Or feed you mozzarella sticks the whole evening.”

Niall slides a napkin with a barely readable number onto his table and Harry stares at it with wide eyes. He vaguely hears Louis exclaim ‘did you tell him to go on a date with you, Horan?’ but then Ben comes walking back in and Harry quickly slides the napkin in his back pocket.

“I’m sorry, but we have to leave,” Ben states, his hands gripping his chair so that he’s almost towering over Harry. “This new guy fucked up the numbers for the Sylvester case and now someone has to come in the office and fix it. I tried calling Joe but he’s watching his kids or whatever, so I said I’d be there in thirty. You don’t mind, do you?”

Harry can feel his shoulders drop but he still manages to give Ben a tiny smile. “No, ‘course not. I understand.”

He thinks he hears Louis scoff from beside them and this time, Harry can’t help but agree with him. Bit rude, really. Okay, so the date wasn’t going that great, but he finally got his plate of chicken wings and now he has to leave? Rubbish.

When they make their way to the exit, Harry throws a wave over his shoulder while Ben pays. Niall mouths something that looks an awful lot like ‘call me’, followed by Louis kicking his shin, and Niall blows him a cheeky kiss.

Ben drops him off at his flat, apologising again and saying that he’ll make it up to him another time. Harry agrees for the sake of it, but he knows that there’s absolutely no chance in hell that he’s going on a date with him again.

It’s not until he’s undressing that evening that he remembers the napkin in his back pocket. Five minutes later when he’s lying in bed as he types out a message with a grin on his face.

_hi. harry here. so, about that date?_


End file.
